Comfortable
by bmo-galaxy
Summary: It's pouring rain in Resembool, changing the barometric pressure of the hills. Winry helps Ed through the pain, making him comfortable in the rain for the first time in a long time.


Rain poured down on Resembool. Small rivers of water ran down the hillsides, making them slick and muddy. Sheep and cattle were herded into barns as the rain fell and fell and fell.

The sound of the rain didn't soothe Edward Elric as it may have other people. Instead, the boy was laid out on the couch, gritting his teeth and incessantly rubbing at his stump of a leg. Phantom pain tingled through his shoulder and upper arm as well, muted compared to the pain in his leg, but just as persistent. Golden eyes, pinched in pain, glared out the window. His mouth pressed into a thin line in an attempt to hold in the groan in the back of his throat.

With a sigh, he turned his head into the couch and closed his eyes. He hoped that if he relaxed as much as possible, he might be able to get a little sleep. Napping through these kinds of days always worked the best, in his experience.

He laid in silence for almost fifteen minutes when calloused fingers ran through the hair on his forehead. He silently hoped that Winry couldn't feel the sweat that had collected on his brow.

"It's bad today, isn't it?" she murmured. He felt, more than heard, as she knelt down behind the arm of the couch. She continued to sooth her fingers through his hair, hoping to comfort him. Ed hummed in appreciation at the gesture and leaned into the touch.

"Yeah," he breathed as an answer, muscles clenching in another burst of pain. Winry grimaced at the sight, scrambling for ideas on how to help him. She tried to remember what she'd learned from her parents books that might be of use. The burst of pain had subsided by the time Winry remembered something. She pressed a brief kiss to his forehead before standing.

"I'll be right back. Don't move!" she explained, walking out of the room as she spoke.

"Not like I could right now," Ed grumbled after her, turning his head against the couch.

Winry returned ten minutes later. Ed didn't open his eyes when he heard her set down something large, followed by two smaller objects. She ran her fingertips along his cheek to gain his attention. He peeked at her, eyes tired. The automail technician smiled at him sympathetically, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips.

"I brought some hot water and silicone lubricant. I'm going to warm up the stump, then massage it to help the muscles relax."

Ed could hardly suppress the moan that filled his mouth at her explanation. "You're absolutely the best, most beautiful wife and automail technician I've ever met."

Winry rolled her eyes at the line and waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah, you'll owe me one after this." Ed chuckled quietly and nodded.

"Of course, of course."

Winry threw him one last grin before she dipped the towel she'd brought in a large basin of warm water. She rolled up his pant leg slowly, careful not to jostle the automail as she went. She didn't want to strain the connection to his flesh and make the pain worse.

"Do you want me to remove the leg for now or does reattaching it later make it worse?" she whispered, remembering the way he'd explained the what the reconnection of his nerves felt like. She suppressed the shudder that crawled up her spine.

Ed weighed the two options and sighed. "The weight of the automail strains against the tissue and makes the pain worse, which makes me want to rip my leg off. Reconnecting the nerves forces me to relive one of the most tramatic experiences in my life. Talk about a rock and a hard place," he muttered sardonically. By now, Winry had rolled up his pant leg as far as it would go. She didn't make a move to grab the towel yet, waiting for him to decide what he wanted to do. She rubbed her hand against his arm comfortingly,

Ed thought for another moment before sighing. "Disconnect it, I want a little tune up on it if that's okay. I'm taking a trip to the North soon, so refitting it is a good idea."

Winry nodded, recalling him mention a trip to the North a few weeks ago. Pulling a screwdriver and a torque wrench out of her coverall pocket, she quickly removed the automail and set it off to the side. She inspected it for a moment, making mental notes of what she wanted to tinker with. With a few ideas stashed away, she grabbed her towel and rung it out.

Slowly, she ran the towel along the seam between his flesh and his hardware. She continued to alternate between dipping the towel in the water and laying it along the connection, and massaging her hands into the muscles of his thigh. The blonde grinned at the breathy moan of bliss that sounded from Ed. After a few minutes, once the muscles had started to relax, she poured some of the silicone into her cupped hand. She rubbed her hands together quickly so not to drip the liquid onto her lap. Soothing her palms over his leg, she pressed hard against the tissue. She worked out the knots and cramps in the muscle, feeling the lubricant warm under her palms.

"You're the best," Edward breathed softly, completely relaxed against the couch. Exhaustion spread through him, thick and heavy. The pain that the downpour brought on always left him tired. And the relief that Winry was giving him had relaxed him enough to finally sleep.

The boy was nearly asleep when Winry sat back on her knees and wiped her hand with the damp towel. Ed looked at her with eyes half closed, his grin lopsided.

"Thanks, Winry," he mumbled around a yawn. Winry grinned at him and kissed him briefly.

"Of course, Edward," she responded. She stood and stretched with a loud groan. Ed shifted slightly, turning to sit up and set his flesh foot on the floor.

"Mind helping me to the bedroom?"

"Sure, I was going to suggest that you take a nap anyway." She wrapped an arm around her husband's waist tightly, helping him to a standing position. He slung his arm over her shoulder, balancing against her for support. Slowly, they made their way toward their shared bedroom.

"I'll work on your automail for a little while, then make dinner?" she suggested as they walked. Ed nodded.

"Sounds good. Al is coming in late tonight and I promised we'd meet him at the station."

Winry smiled excitedly. "I forgot that he and May are visiting! I'll make something for us to snack on when they get here."

Ed chuckled at her excitement, kissing her temple affectionately. "Sounds good."

Once in their room, Winry helped Ed lay out on their bed and pulled a blanket over him. Ed caught her wrist when she turned to leave. He gently tugged her back to the side of the bed. Shuffling over, he tugged her arm.

"Lay with me for a few minutes," he mumbled sleepily. Winry didn't have to think twice before she crawled into bed. She shuffled under the blanket next to him, curling against his chest and wrapped her arms around his torso. He held her back, armed curled around her shoulder and lag tangled against hers. Heat still radiated through his stump, helping the muscles stay relaxed despite the change in the barometric pressure because of the rain. With a content sigh, Ed closed his eyes and soaked in the feeling of his wife in his arms. The sound of her breathing, the feel of her pulse, the twitch of her hands against his back. Like desert sand soaking up the waters of a monsoon, Ed basked in the moment. For the first time in a long time, he was comfortable in the rain.


End file.
